Chapter 7: Poor Unfortunate Souls

Chapter 7: Poor Unfortunate Souls

The Cutty Sark landed with a mighty CRASH! Even after Kisame and Halibel had stopped holding her down, Juvia was still clinging to the railing as if her life depended on it. She slowly turned to the others. "Is it over?"

Kisame smirked. "It's only been over for a few minutes." Halibel slapped him on the shoulder. "Be nice," she grumbled.

"Well…you actually handled that better than most other first timers," Jinbe admitted as he started to get a good look at where they landed. It certainly lived up to the name 'Devil's Wall'.

The ship was right on the edge of extremely turbulent water. To put it simply, the currents weren't making any sense at all. On top of the plethora of whirlpools, the water was being pulled this way and that. A few stray boulders were rolling around, being pushed in completely different directions. Outcroppings of rock occasionally stood above the waves, only to be completely submerged in seconds. Every few minutes, a massive tsunami would crash through, sending the currents haywire right before any of the crew could figure out a pattern.

Well, Camie was able to follow it. Unfortunately, there was something deterring her from getting in. Namely, two massive Moray Eels. Their golden eyes were staring right at the Cutty Sark. Jinbe's expression grew dark.

"Tsuyu, stay with Juvia. Keep her out of the fight," the Fishman ordered.

"What? I have to help. It's my mess and…"

"No arguments!" Kisame roared as he shoved the girl into the Pro-Hero's arms.

Halibel turned to the others. "Okay. Apacci get over those two and rain fire on them. Brook, you can run on water, so keep those things distracted. Franky, stay and use the ship to bombard them. Sasori…"

The former Sand Ninja scoffed. "I will be staying with my ship, regardless of what you say."

"Fine," Halibel tersely replied.

Tsuyu couldn't help but note those not already mentioned. "What about the rest of you?"

Kisame gave a notably fierce grin. "Ain't it obvious? The three of us are going to rip the tentacles off that witch."

The former Espada rolled her eyes. "Just because we're killing her doesn't mean we'll be separating her limbs from the rest of her."

A little uncomfortable with the casual mention of death and dismemberment, Camie turned to Jinbe, who had the utmost serious expression. "I hate to ask this of you Camie, but you're the best swimmer here. We need you to guide us through those currents. Leave all the fighting to us."

Still a bit shaky, and uneasy at the idea of being so close to a big fight, the mermaid nodded.

At that point, Flotsam and Jetsam shot straight towards the ship. "You're not going anywhere!" they yelled in unison.

"HELL NO!" Apacci roared as she got above the eels with Sonido, cannon slung over her shoulder. Then, right before they could snap their jaws on the ship, a series of Bala from Apacci's new toy forced them to take evasive action.

"That's our cue, lead the way Camie," Kisame decided.

Nodding, Camie's legs turned back into a fin, and she dove headfirst into the water. Jinbe was right behind her. Halibel gave a small nod to Apacci before following. Kisame mock saluted Sasori as he brought up the rear. Within a second, the four had vanished from the sight of the surface.

Back up top, Flotsam was drawing Apacci's fire, while Jetsam was making a move on the ship.

"Be Gone!" Sasori roared as the Third Kazekage flew into the air. At the same time, a barrage of fire and lightning unloaded from the cannons. Unfortunately, Jetsam was agile enough to dive down and avoid it.

"DAMN IT, HOLD STILL!" Apacci shouted as the massive Flotsam seemed to effortlessly avoid her red Reishi. Suddenly, Jetsam shot out of the water, right under Apacci. Before she was able to dodge…

"YOHOHOHO!" Brook dashed across the water. "Aubade Coup Droit!" The skeleton thrust his Soul Solid forward, and the resulting air blast managed to take a chunk out of Jetsam's side. The eel hissed in pain before reeling on Brook. The Straw Hat simply laughed as he skidded on the surface.

SPLOOSH. Flotsam tore through the water's surface, eager to chomp down and crush the annoying bag of bones. Brook didn't deviate from his collision course. When Flotsam was inches away, he moved. "Soul Parade!" the Pirate cried as he stopped the eel's jaws from closing in, starting to freeze some teeth over. Still, the effort in blocking Flotsam meant that he was wide open to Jetsam. That is, if he was alone.

"You're mine!" Jetsam snarled as he approached. Then, a Red Bala hit him right in his glowing eye. "RAARGH!" he roared in pain.

"You took your eyes off me, you little shit!" Apacci triumphantly declared.

Knowing they needed to strategize, Flotsam and Jetsam disengaged, diving out of sight.

"Slippery bastards," Apacci grumbled. Brook found himself nodding in agreement. "They wouldn't be such an issue if we could consistently hit them. Their agility and evasiveness is quite the bother."

"But we're wearing them down, I don't see any issue with just continuing what we're doing," Apacci argued.

"But they will," Brook pointed out. "So they're going to change tactics. Go for what they see as a weakness."

Apacci's eyes widened when she caught the implication. At that moment, the Cutty Sark bucked as Flotsam and Jetsam hit the keel like battering rams. Thankfully, the combination of Franky's craftsmanship and Sasori's liberal application of seals meant that the ship sustained little damage. Still, the ship's defense still had a limit, and it'd be best not to test it now.

Then, from the middle of the ship, a docking bay opened. A cry of "SUPER!" could be heard as a submarine with the design of a shark came out. "Let's see those eels eat this!" Franky cried as he submerged. He caught sight of Flotsam and Jetsam, readying for another charge.

"Oh No you don't!" he cried. While his right hand kept steering, his left fist protruded from an opening on the submarine. "WEAPONS LEFT!"

Flotsam and Jetsam noticed the coming attack, and changed course in time to avoid most of the damage. Still, their tails were riddled with bullet holes. Not letting up an inch, Franky dove the Shark Submerge beneath the eels, wanting to make sure they didn't dive away. Plus, keeping them close to the surface was the only way the rest of the crew could damage them.

Deciding it was time to force them up, Franky opened another hatch. "Franky Rocket Launcher!" Three missiles shot out of his cyborg body. Knowing there was no other choice, the eels went up to avoid them. Sure enough, Red Balas were there to greet the duo.

Back on the surface, Sasori prepared his next move, insulted at the eels thinking they could take down his work of art by simply ramming it. Iron Sand seeped out of his greatest puppet's mouth. Meanwhile, Flotsam and Jetsam were completely distracted by Apacci's barrage coupled with Brook's hit-and-run swordplay. Perfect.

"Iron Sand Gathering," Sasori intoned as the black particles began to coalesce into 5 large spikes. With a wave of his hand, the Iron shot out at the eels. Both screamed in pain as their fins and tails were ravaged. On top of that, one spike managed to take out Flotsam's golden eye, effectively cutting off the eels from their master.

Still, the eels were not deterred. Flotsam shot towards Brook, since he was the closest enemy, while avoiding Balas. Jetsam, having not learned his lesson, came straight to the ship, albeit slowed due to his wounds and the poison starting to take effect. Sasori smirked as he recalled his spikes. Seeing something else hurtle towards the charging eel, the former Sand Ninja saw no need to hurry.

"Hundred Brick Fist!" Tsuyu Asui slammed a fist into Jetsam's only good eye, covering her skin with mild poison for good effect. The Pro-Hero had learned Fishman Karate to the point that the eel felt the liquid in its eye being pushed back. Completely blinded, Jetsam howled as he thrashed wildly in an attempt to crush the girl. Noticing Sasori ready to go, Tsuyu used Jetsam as a springboard, landing back on the deck.

Silently, Sasori shaped the Iron Sand into a pointed pyramid. With a mere flick of his finger, the pyramid shot out and through Jetsam's head. The eel died instantly. Seeing the body start to sink, the satisfied Ninja withdrew his Iron Sand back to the Kazekage. Tsuyu couldn't help but give an apprehensive look to Sasori, having never really worked with anyone so coldly lethal before.

To the side, Flotsam was somehow managing to avoid both Brook and Apacci, much to the latter's frustration. Still, thanks to his injuries, the eel was noticeably slower. Taking advantage, and knowing the other eel was taken care of, Franky had driven the Shark Submerge right under Flotsam.

"Strong Right!" Franky's metal fist hurtled out of the water, right into Flotsam's chin. The second the cyborg's fist withdrew, Brook moved.

"Swallow Banderole!" the Straw Hat left a deep gash where the eel's skin met the water. Then, the wound and the water around Flotsam froze, trapping him. He roared as he started to crack the ice.

"CERO!" Apacci had gotten the eel in her sights long enough to power up her strongest attack through her cannon. The beam of red energy utterly obliterated Flotsam, his charred remains sinking into the deep.

Smirking, Apacci hoisted the cannon over her shoulder as she made her way back to the ship. Brook managed to bridge the distance with a leap. Finally, the Shark Submerge had rejoined the ship, with Franky walking up from below.

Juvia looked at the others, a bit in awe at how they had taken down those monsters, while also feeling a little guilty. After all, she was the reason behind this whole mess, and she hadn't contributed one little bit. Before she could spiral any further down that train of thought, a rumbling from below started to shake the whole ship.

"What the hell was that?" Apacci wondered.

"Could the others be in trouble?" Juvia anxiously asked.

"No way," Franky confidently answered. "The person who can beat Jinbe underwater hasn't been born yet."

Suddenly, Jinbe, Kisame, Halibel, and Camie all shot out of the water. "MOVE!" the former Akatsuki roared to the rest of the crew. The stunned onlookers were all thinking along the lines of "what the hell happened?"

OoOoOoO

When the four hit the water, only Camie was able to instantly set off towards the bottom. The others were momentarily knocked off balance by the insane currents. After reflection, they realized what the pattern was. Every motion of water was directed away from a certain point.

Camie led the way, with Jinbe close behind. Halibel pushed herself forward with Sonido, and Kisame followed up by encasing himself in a Water Shark Bomb Jutsu.

In a few minutes time, they had reached the seafloor, and caught sight of a dark purple tentacle. Just as quick as they saw it, it vanished.

"Camie, you and I will focus on finding and protecting the trident," Jinbe commanded. "You two will focus on Ursula."

Kisame smirked as he gripped Samehada, exiting the Water Shark (which remained by his side) as he used Chakra to stick to the seafloor. Halibel merely nodded, using Reishi to steady herself.

Before they could separate, Ursula lunged right at the group. "Water Slicer!" she howled as the attack approached. The Water Shark from before swam forward, and managed to cancel out the attack by ramming it. But Ursula didn't resume the attack. Instead, she changed her tentacles with a shout of "Water Jigsaw!" and hightailed it towards where she knew the trident was.

"Coward knows she has no chance without a serious boost," Kisame grumbled.

"New plan. Camie, you need to get ahead of her," Halibel spoke up. "We'll slow her down."

"Right," the mermaid nodded before setting off.

Jinbe turned to the other two. "Unless my Fishman Karate works through Magic, Kisame is our best shot at actually injuring her. Halibel, we'll focus on leaving Ursula wide open for Samehada."

"Fine," the Hollow muttered as she pursued the witch.

"I'm counting on you," Jinbe told Kisame. And the fight was on.

Ursula saw Camie get the lead on her. Infuriated, the sea-witch readied an attack. "Water Cane!" A whip of water made its way to the mermaid. Camie started to slow in horror at the power aimed at her.

SWISH! Halibel appeared in front of Camie, slicing the attack with Tiburon. "Don't hesitate for even a second!" the Hollow urged her comrade. "Keep going!"

Her resolve strengthening again, Camie paddled forward, managing to get a good distance despite fighting against the currents. Ursula was in hot pursuit, desperately avoiding Halibel. The Hollow was launching a wave of Ola Azul at the witch, who was only managing to dodge thanks to the currents fighting against Halibel.

Ursula found herself sighing in relief when the golden projectiles stopped, only to careen to the side when a massive blue fist went through where she just was. Jinbe glowered at her as he prepared another strike.

"5,000 Brick Fist!"

Going on instinct, Ursula momentarily let the current take her away. Still, she felt the shockwave rattle her insides, despite the distance. All the while, Kisame had managed to get uncomfortably close to her.

"Water Nebula!" She tried to blast him back. Unfortunately for her, Samehada tore through her attack, with some of its scales starting to poke out of the wrappings. Realizing that she only made her opponent stronger, Ursula went back to running.

"Get back here!" Kisame shouted as brought down Samehada. He slashed, catching the tail end of Ursula's water tentacles. Not fazed, the witch simply channeled more magic to grow them back. Desperate, she tried to delay Kisame before running.

"Water Lock!" the Ninja was put in a sphere of heavy water, while the witch dashed off.

"You think a mere Water Prison will hold me?!" Kisame asked as a burst of Chakra shattered the Magic holding the spell together. Samehada feasting on the Magic certainly helped.

While the Ninja resumed the chase, Halibel constantly forced Ursula to alter course with a barrage of golden Bala, with some Ola Azul put in for good measure. The witch would've looked like swiss cheese already if it wasn't for her stolen Magic. Before Ursula could make another move, Jinbe swam right over her.

"Shark Brick Fist!" This time, the Fishman was right on target, earning a pained shriek from the witch. She crashed on the seafloor, crying out.

Seeing Kisame leap forward, Samehada ready to turn her into a shish-ka-bob, she rolled to the side. Ursula still felt the Ninja's might as the coral and bed begin to crack. Seeing an opening, the witch retaliated. "Water Nebula!"

Unfortunately for her, all she hit was a Water Clone. "What the...AGH!" Kisame had gotten behind her, and was sliding Samehada down her left arm. Once the sword had its fill, Ursula's Magic was frantically trying to reform her into water. Before she could become intangible, Jinbe slammed into her back with a "Sharkskin Palm Thrust!" Ursula gasped from the sheer power, and the feeling of her insides being pushed forward. She slammed into another bed of coral.

Then, her eyes gleamed as a smile crept up. She saw that pesky mermaid, being slowed down by the biggest whirlpool yet. And at the center of the maelstrom, there was a bright green glow. Power was radiating off of it to the point everyone could feel it. Even the attackers paused when they got a good feel for it. To Kisame, Halibel, and Jinbe, this immense power was very familiar. It was just like the power behind that first storm on their journey.

'That's it!" Ursula thought as she reformed her tentacles, making it look as if a tornado of water was pushing her to that unfathomable power.

"SHIT!" Kisame cursed his carelessness. That snapped Halibel and Jinbe out of their transfixed state, and they rushed after Ursula. Wanting to close the witch's lead, the Ninja sped through Hand Signs. "Water Style: Five Hungry Sharks!"

The water constructs sped forward, with Halibel barely dodging one, since she was right behind Ursula.

"Watch it!" Halibel shouted to her bloodthirsty comrade, who only smirked in response as he redirected the sharks. Eyes going wide, Ursula raised her arms back to counter the coming feeding frenzy.

"WATER CYCLONE!" A massive burst of water emanated from Ursula. Halibel was forced to retreat with Sonido. The Sharks were pushed back, unable to power through. Having no time to attack, Jinbe crossed his arms and coated them in Haki with a shout of "Kairagi!" Once the attack subsided, the three crewmates joined up, only to see that Ursula was nearly out of sight.

"She must have used the attack to push herself into the whirlpool," Halibel realized. To her horror, Ursula was nearly on top of Camie. With a dash of Sonido, the Hollow zoomed into the whirling maelstrom. Right before the witch could grab the mermaid, Halibel appeared right over her, slicing Ursula's arm clean off. Acting before the limb could reform, Halibel blasted Ursula back with a "Cero". She pushed the witch back towards the surface, away from the glow.

"Come on!" Halibel cried out to the others. Camie was the first to start moving again. Poseidon's Trident was sticking up out of the seafloor. From a distance, it could be mistaken for coral, what with its organic look and uneven make. One of the three points had been worn down. A shining emerald sat at the intersection between staff and prongs. Although, the jewel's luster was slightly diminished by the big cracks inside. Its glow was pulsating with every change of current. Once she got a clear look, the mermaid realized that the currents were getting more intense, as if the trident was desperate to avoid a new wielder.

Speaking of which, Ursula had completely reformed from Halibel's Cero. She was making a beeline straight down.

"Camie!" Jinbe called out. "Grab the trident and go!"

As the mermaid fought against the current, the trio pushed themselves to intercept Ursula. It was taking everything they had just to remain steady. Jinbe was the first to get in-range. "Arabesque Brick Fist!" The witch was sent hurtling towards Halibel, who had Tiburon ready. Ursula managed to avoid the Hollow's strike, only for Kisame to get the drop on her. Samehada tore her in half, right through the stomach. After a brief splattering of water, 'Ursula' completely dissipated.

"A Clone?! How the hell did she manage after only seeing mine once?" Kisame asked incredulously.

Jinbe's eyes widened as he saw Camie and the real Ursula both within arm's reach of the trident. Before he could get any closer, the two grabbed it at the same time. With a burst of water and energy, the mermaid was blasted back. She would've painfully crashed into a bed of coral if it weren't for Halibel.

Ursula stood triumphant, trident in hand, as the currents started pushing everyone away from her. "WOAHAHAHAHA! At last, the power of the sea is MINE! Now, I'll…" she paused as something caught her eye. Ursula gasped when she realized it was the remains of Flotsam and Jetsam.

"My Babies!" she cried out as her first memories after waking up resurfaced.

(Five years ago)

Ursula had woken up with a start, finding herself floating on the ocean surface. Her hand flew towards her midsection as her gruesome death replayed itself in her mind. A sense of relief spread as she realized there were no wounds on her. That relief was short-lived when she felt a disturbance in the water.

Quickly moving to the side, she saw a massive galleon shoot out from beneath. Its moss and seaweed covered visage seemed to glower down at her. On closer inspection, she saw a few cannons already aimed at her. Before she could move to flee, a powerful voice called out to her.

"Are you Ursula?" she heard from the deck. She looked up to see a horrific combination of man and sea life amongst the crew. In particular, her eyes were drawn to the speaker, with his beard of octopus tentacles and mighty claw for a left arm. Still, she would not be so easily intimidated.

"How do you know me?" Ursula asked, highly suspicious of the stranger.

The figure chuckled at the query. "Why, I'm Davy Jones. It's my duty as Captain of the Flying Dutchman to know the dead."

Ursula froze when hearing the creature's identity. She had heard horror stories about the Flying Dutchman and its cursed captain all the way back to when she was a little girl. When she was older, she had brushed them off as mere stories. Even now, she could barely believe her eyes. After a bit more thought, she finally understood what Jones said. She had indeed died. A flash of anger came at the thought of that miserable little human and that accursed Ariel managing to destroy her.

"And I have heard much of you Ursula," Jones continued. "You are the only one who has ever taken the Trident of Atlantica from its rightful ruler…for however brief a time." He chuckled when he noticed Ursula's dark expression at the reminder.

Patience running short, Ursula cut to the heart of the matter. "Why have you come for me?" she asked tersely.

"Hehehe…did I touch a nerve? Very well, I ask for you to join my crew." Davy Jones proclaimed.

Ursula took a moment to observe said crew. Thanks to being a witch herself, she could sense the power emanating from Jones and his ship. She could feel it snaking its way into the minds and bodies of every single other resident. Knowing full well the consequences of letting someone else's magic influence her, Ursula had her answer.

"No."

There was a moment of silence before Jones started laughing uproariously. "HAHAHA! It's been years since someone has refused. Your spirit is impressive." The captain complimented. With a twisted smile, he turned back to Ursula. "Still, I'd still like to come to an arrangement with such a powerful figure. Your cunning could be quite the game-changer."

"What do you mean?" Ursula said, slightly mollified by the compliments.

"First, a token to show my sincerity." Jones waved his hand, and his biggest crewmate went below deck. In a few seconds, a hatch opened up. Then, two familiar moray eels started swimming towards her.

"Flotsam! Jetsam!" Ursula yelled as her two beloved companions swam around her. To her relief, while Jones' magic had made them bigger, she couldn't sense any tampering with their minds.

Her eyes narrowed as she asked herself why the captain would do this for free. The answer: He wouldn't.

"What is your price for this?" Ursula asked.

Jones chuckled. "I seek nothing in return. All I ask is for you to hear me out."

"Fine." Ursula conceded.

"What if I told you there was a way to reclaim all that power you once possessed?"

Ursula was listening intently after that.

"There's another trident." Jones stated.

"Impossible!" the sea-witch claimed.

"Not so. You see, it isn't just your world's dead that ends up in these waters. Anything that isn't eternal is fair game for showing up." Jones explained. "These…other worlds…are capable of power and destruction the likes of which you can only dream. The old god of this realm is growing weaker," Jones gave a cruel smirk. "Soon, new gods from those worlds will turn the seas red in their fight for dominance."

"And where does this trident fit into all this?" Ursula couldn't help but wonder.

"The trident is one of many weapons that could elevate one to the level of these gods, since it has the power of Poseidon." Jones revealed.

Even Ursula had heard the name Poseidon. Her father, the previous King of Atlantica, was named after the mythical figure and founder of the kingdom. To think that Poseidon was a name to be feared in more worlds than hers was astounding.

"Why tell me this?" Ursula asked. "What do you get out of it?"

"War is coming. The power of the trident will be claimed eventually," Jones said. "I know you, and I know the big players in this sea. You're the better choice. It's as simple as that."

"Why not take it yourself?" the sea-witch tried to find the catch here.

"I cannot."

When Jones didn't elaborate, Ursula stroked her eels. "I thank you for reuniting me with Flotsam and Jetsam. When this war you speak of comes, I won't forget this."

The captain smirked, knowing full well Ursula would turn on him if she ever got powerful enough. Still, he was eager to see Poseidon's Trident ripped out of its hiding place.

"There is an island called the Grotto. It's a month's journey south west of here. That's the last known place the trident was used," Jones finished his explanation.

Without another word, Ursula and her eels started heading that way. Davy Jones gave a cruel smile before ordering the ship elsewhere, confident about what he set in motion.

Over the next few years, Ursula put on a fake persona as a good Samaritan, slowly earning the townsfolk' trust to the point that they felt comfortable talking around her. She listened for months for any clues to the Trident's location. Once she learned of the dangerous waters nearby, Ursula waited and studied. She increased her knowledge of the other worlds, searching for people whose power she could take to reach the Trident.

Then, fortune smiled at her when a foolishly heartbroken girl wandered into The Grotto. It was almost too easy.

(Present)

Ursula was breathing deeply, her anger palpable to all those around her. "How dare they interfere with me! How dare they take my babies away from me! I REFUSE to allow five years of dealing with those simpering townsfolk be for nothing! I WON'T LOSE AGAIN!"

The others present could feel the magical power skyrocketing. Thanks to Juvia's stolen Water Magic, Ursula's own emotions were increasing her power exponentially. On top of that, the Trident's power was being channeled through the sea-witch. The burst of power was enough to get Kisame and Halibel to sweat in apprehension. Then, a cloud of ink was released as Ursula started to grow.

"We need to leave, NOW!" Halibel started as she dragged Camie away with Sonido. Jinbe and Kisame were quick to follow. Their pace was quickened as they realized that Ursula's power spike wasn't slowing down in the least.

Soon, the four breached the surface, much to the rest of the crew's shock. "MOVE!" Kisame shouted at everyone.

Wasting no time, Sasori got in his usual Lotus Position, adjusting the sails to catch the wind. Still, it wasn't enough to completely avoid what was coming.

The clouds grew dark, covering the sky as cracks of lightning and booms of thunder started to appear. Then, the transformed Ursula appeared. Her size now completely dwarfed the ship to the point where one smack of her gargantuan tentacles looked like it could destroy the Cutty Sark.

With a deranged look in her eye, Ursula turned to the crew, and began to laugh. Her voice had become deeply distorted as it boomed over the sea. "HAHAHA! Where's all that power now?! You three are nothing but pitifully insignificant fools before my might!" She swirled her trident amongst the clouds, intensifying the storm. Her sheer mass sent the sea out in violently thrashing waves. "The sea will now bow to MY POWER!"

Everyone on the ship actually found themselves taking a step back. That is, until Kisame answered with a laugh of his own.

"All you did was make yourself a bigger target, you old hag." He jumped onto the water's surface, slamming Samehada down. Then, the legendary sword started to merge with the Ninja. "And I've already got enough Magic from you to do this."

"Hmm…seems that despite what he said, Kisame is already taking this seriously," Sasori couldn't help but observe.

"No reason why I shouldn't do the same," Halibel decided as she stepped into the air. "Hunt, Tiburon!"

As his two strongest crewmates changed, Jinbe turned to the others. "Get this ship as far away from her reach as possible. Use only long-ranged attacks. The three of us are the only ones who can get close."

The rest of the crew nodded, even Apacci. Despite her usual eagerness to help Halibel, she knew she'd only be in the way at this level of fighting. Satisfied, Jinbe jumped into the water, already rushing out to intercept Ursula.

Speaking of the sea-witch, she was already aiming her trident at the Cutty Sark.

"HAHAHAHA!" A blast of lightning erupted from the prongs of the Trident. It was only thanks to Sasori's evasive maneuvers that only the mizzen mast was damaged, though to the point that it collapsed onto it's side, meaning its top was hanging off the ship's stern.

"Damn it," the puppeteer muttered as he sped through Hand Signs. "Mechanical Light Shield Block!" 4 planks sprung out in the shape of a cross. Runes lit up on their interior as a blue light formed a barrier between the Cutty Sark and Ursula.

At that point, Ursula had shot of another bolt of lightning. "Hold On!" Franky yelled to everyone else. This time, the power simply pushed the ship back instead of damaging it. Still, Sasori knew that the shield would only hold up for so long. His hope was that he could maintain it until he was far enough away to dodge whatever the sea-witch threw at him.

Juvia was simply sitting in shock at everything going on around her. It was bad enough to feel her own power mixed in with Ursula's. Feeling the Trident's power, and knowing it was her fault that a maniac had it, led to a sense of hopelessness.

"You okay?" Tsuyu asked her.

"This is all my fault," Juvia muttered.

"We already told you it wasn't," Apacci interrupted. "So quit your bitching and hang on!"

Tsuyu held Juvia while wrapping herself around the main mast.

"We can talk you through this…but not now," Tsuyu gently chided her. "Right now, we all need to be alert. Can you do that for me?"

Juvia nodded.

"Have some faith in those three. After all, they beat a Demon easily when they got serious," Tsuyu explained.

"A Demon? Of Tartaros?" Juvia asked incredulously.

"Yep." Tsuyu replied nonchalantly.

Recalling how much trouble those Demons had given her and her Guild, Juvia couldn't help but feel reassured at that.

"7000 Brick Roundhouse Kick!"

"AHH!"

Plus, the sight of Jinbe painfully knocking aside one of Ursula's hands was quite cathartic.

"Alright…I'll trust them," Juvia decided.

"Hallelujah, "Apacci deadpanned. "Now get a move on!"

Back at the fight, Kisame and Halibel had finished their transformations uninterrupted thanks to Jinbe's efforts. They were now zooming forward. Just in time too, since Ursula had backhanded the Fishman hard enough to knock him back.

"I'll go high, you go low," Halibel decided.

"Right," Kisame replied before diving down with a burst of his newfound tail. "Water Style: Exploding Water Shock Wave!" The Ninja channeled his Chakra into as much water as he could. Then, he started making the surface as unstable as possible, starting to send Ursula off-balance with tidal wave after tidal wave.

"Cascada!" Halibel raised a massive deluge of water around her, before sending it crashing down on the sea-witch.

"Water Nebula!" This time, due to the power boost from the Trident, the attack was powerful enough to punch a hole through Halibel's water. Acting quickly, she held her pata in front of her. Thanks to the Cascada, Ursula's attack had been slowed down, meaning the Hollow was only pushed back a little.

Before Ursula could take advantage, she felt a sharp pain on one of her tentacles. Looking down, she saw Kisame swiftly swimming along her watery limb, gouging it out with spikes that had emerged from the fins on his arm. The Ninja frowned as he came to a realization. "There's no way I'll be able to simply drain her magic like this. She's got far too much now thanks to that Trident. No way my usual tactic with the Water Prison will work on something this strong."

His thoughts were interrupted when the tentacle he was draining suddenly bucked, forcing him away. It was just enough that Ursula could now aim the trident at him. Without a word, she shot another bolt of lightning. While it technically didn't hit him, it was close enough to give a severe shock through the water. "AAGH!"

Trying to take use an opening, Halibel had gotten to the right of Ursula's face, while Jinbe was on the surface to her left.

"Cero."

"Shark Brick Fist!"

Unfortunately, Ursula saw it coming. She swung the trident into Jinbe's side before his attack could connect, drawing a considerable amount of blood from the Fishman. As for that Cero, Ursula's head was vaporized. That is, until water rose up and reformed said head.

"HAHAHA! You can never harm me!" Ursula gloated as she pointed her Trident into the storm. Then, lightning started coming down on Halibel. The only reason the Hollow hadn't been harmed yet was due to Hierro, but even that had its limits. Powering through her skin beginning to scorch, Halibel pointed at Ursula.

"Bala." A barrage of golden Reishi came hurtling towards the sea-witch, who quickly raised her arm to tank the attacks. She hissed as the Hollow's attack constantly forced her to reform the limb.

"Water Style: Thousand Hungry Sharks!" Kisame quickly seized the initiative by surrounding Ursula on all sides with water sharks, forcing her to either tank their attacks, or dispel them with a swing of the Trident, which actually managed to keep them from reforming.

"Water Shot Barrage!" On top of that, Jinbe was launching countless water drops at Ursula's face to distract her.

Unfortunately, while the attacks were fast enough to actually get past Ursula's defense with the Trident, they weren't doing any real damage thanks to Juvia's Water Magic. In fact, the swarm of 'annoyances' only served to enrage the sea-witch.

"DIE!" Ursula roared in that distorted voice. A burst of power from the Trident completely dispelled the remaining Water Sharks, much to Kisame's concern. Then, Ursula took back control of the fight.

"Water Cyclone!" An absolutely gargantuan mass of water started spinning in front of her. She then directed lightning to strike her attack. With a mighty roar, she hurtled the combined elements at the trio.

Acting quickly, Halibel and Kisame got in front of Jinbe.

"Hirviendo!" The Hollow managed to boil away a portion of the water out of the attack. Meanwhile, Kisame was able to absorb some of the lightning sent at them. Still, it was a ridiculous amount of electrified ocean that crashed into them.

BOOOM! The impact was such that the trio was thrown back within sight of the Cutty Sark. And it was not encouraging to the rest of the crew. "Halibel!" Apacci shouted in worry.

"I'm fine," Halibel assured her. The ex-Espada's left arm and leg were completely bare, their armor gone, leaving behind red scars from the lightning. She looked to her sides, realizing her comrades weren't much better off. Jinbe's shirt had been blasted away, with numerous bruises and a hole from Ursula constantly slamming the Trident into him. While Kisame didn't have any scars, he was changing back to normal, with Samehada in hand. He had an apprehensive look on his face.

"Damn it," Kisame cursed. "I used up all the energy I took healing myself from that. That's the last time I take a lightning bolt for you guys," the Ninja grumbled. "I don't you about you all, but I've only got enough for one big attack."

"I hate to admit it, but I'm starting to get worn down," Jinbe agreed. Halibel simply nodded.

From the ship, Juvia heard all this, and began to despair. Rain started falling. She took a long look at how injured the three fighters in the water were. All because of her.

The sea-witch approached, forcing the crew to take action. Sasori and Apacci unloaded everything they had through their cannons, but the behemoth wasn't even phased. Franky's Weapons Left wasn't even leaving a mark. Brook had stepped in front of Tsuyu and Juvia, Soul Solid drawn.

Just as Ursula started getting close, Juvia finally noticed the rain. Her eyes narrowed as memories came to the forefront of her mind. Of Gray and all her dear friends. Of everything they went through for each other.

"No"

"Ribbet," the confused Tsuyu croaked when hearing that.

"I am a Fairy Tail Wizard. I won't let friends fight alone." Juvia's entire body started radiating power, though in her emotional state, she didn't even notice. It got to the point where the rest of the crew was shocked.

"WATER NEBULA!" Ursula shouted as she bore down on the Cutty Sark.

"WATER CYCLONE!" An immense body of water came from Juvia, and boomed as it clashed with Ursula's attack. Suddenly, the Cyclone powered through and blasted Ursula back

"What?" the stunned sea-witch could barely respond. "Water Slicer!" Ursula tried to use the taken Water Magic…but it was gone. "HOW?"

OoOoOoO

On an island far to the north, a half-naked Wizard woke up on an icy beach, not even phased by the cold wind on his skin.

"Where the hell am I?"

OoOoOoO

Ursula's confusion quickly turned to anger when a golden contract with Juvia's name appeared. Before her very eyes, the words "Null and Void" were written over the deal. She knew full well the implications. This 'darling Gray' had appeared, meaning her end of the bargain was no longer fulfilled. "Her true love is actually in this accursed sea? NOW?! IMPOSSIBLE!"

"Water Jigsaw!" Juvia's lower body turned into a watery tornado that sped her past the rest of the fighters, right into a collision course with the sea-witch.

"I'LL DESTROY YOU!" Ursula roared as she started wildly swinging the Trident, sending lightning everywhere. Juvia managed to avoid every single one, either by dodging or by reforming with Water. Once she was close enough, she made her move.

"SIERRA!" Juvia brought herself and the surrounding water into a boiling point. She then crashed a tidal wave of searing water right into Ursula.

"AAGH! ENOUGH!"

Trident glowing with energy, Ursula stabbed a specific portion of water.

"Urk!" Juvia turned back to normal, clutching a bleeding arm. Her side had already gone red.

"HAHA! Intangibility is nothing to the power of the Gods!" Ursula boasted as she brought her trident down on the girl, eager to tear her apart.

"You would think one little wound would be the end of me. "WATER SLICER!"

"AHH!" In an instant, Juvia had cut off all the fingers in Ursula's left hand, and the Trident began to fall. Quickly grabbing it with her right hand, the deranged sea-witch started preparing another lightning blast.

With the last of her strength, Juvia raised her uninjured arm. "Water Lock!"

The entire lower half of Ursula's gargantuan form was completely stopped by the Magic. Still, the sea-witch had control of her upper body.

"WOAHAHAHAHA!" YOU STOOD NO CHANCE! NOW YOU'LL NEVER SEE YOUR TRUE LOVE AGAIN!" Ursula rose what would surely be a killing blow. The Fairy Tail Wizard closed her eyes.

Suddenly, a flash of blue sped past Juvia. "FISHMAN KARATE SECRET TECHNIQUE! VAGABOND DRILL!"

"AAUUGGHH!" Ursula roared in pain as the water pierced her and forced her back.

The Fishman simply rubbed his hand. "That was as bad as punching Big Mom."

At that point, Apacci appeared. She quickly grabbed Juvia and Jinbe. "Yeesh, you should lay off the shrimp, big boy," the Hollow grumbled as she lifted the Fishman. Heading back to the ship, she smirked. "You don't want to be anywhere near what happens next."

The second Ursula regained her bearings, she saw Kisame finish his Hand Signs. "Water Style: Super Shark Bomb Jutsu!" A massive water shark the size of the Cutty Sark, but still smaller than Ursula, began to charge.

Having no choice, Ursula thrust the Trident forward, sending a beam of pure energy from the prongs. She smirked, expecting the attack to plow through that bothersome Ninja. But when the attacks met, despite her continuously powering the energy, they stalemated. It took her a second to realize that the shark was getting bigger. "His attacks can absorb Magic too?! Why didn't you use this before?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Ursula saw Halibel standing in the air, Tiburon pointed towards her. "That shark was just a diversion!" But the realization came too late.

The Hollow cut her hand, and started mixing her blood with her Reishi. "Gran Rey Cero!" The strongest of all Hollow attacks came before Ursula could even move, but the sea-witch wasn't the target. The amplified Cero crashed into the Trident's glowing emerald. In the blink of an eye, the entire top of the Trident shattered, its power being scattered.

Without anything stopping it, the Super Shark Bomb hurtled towards Ursula. Now, it was just as large as she was. Her tentacles managed to free themselves from the Water Lock, but it was too late.

"DAMN YOU!"

The Shark sank its jaw into her left midsection, tearing out half her heart along with a few other organs. Ursula died in an instant. For good measure, all the energy of Kisame's Jutsu violently released itself, pulverizing what was left of the sea-witch. Her body slowly sank, completely disappearing into the darkness as it shrunk.

With the Trident gone, the storm dissipated. All the currents had stabilized. The Ocean became tranquil once again. Kisame and Halibel slowly walked back to the Cutty Sark, both incredibly exhausted.

"Heh…quite the blast…didn't know you could make one that big," Kisame joked.

"My thoughts exactly," Halibel retorted. "Still, I'm surprised we had to pull out all the stops so soon on our journey."

"Well… it was the 'power of a god'." Kisame did the quote sign with one hand.

"Speaking of which…you felt that Trident's power, right?" Halibel asked.

Kisame's expression took a rare turn to serious. "Yeah…it was almost exactly the same power in that storm off Shipwreck Cove."

"I think we'll need to keep our ears open about this Poseidon, whoever he is," Halibel decided.

"Right." Kisame was more than familiar with the need to gather intelligence.

Still, the two put their conversation on hold as they approached the Cutty Sark. The entire crew was cheering. Brook and Franky were doing some weird happy dance with Camie hanging between the two tall men. Apacci was laughing as she shot her cannon into the air in celebration. Tsuyu and Jinbe quietly held their fists in the air, smiles plain to see. Even Sasori, who was patching up Juvia, had a small smirk. As for Juvia herself, a tired smile was visible. Her eyes closed as she came to a decision. "I think… I'll stick with… this crew… for awhile." With that, she was out like a light.

OoOoOoO

Far away, the Captain of the Flying Dutchman paused his playing of the organ. Davy Jones smirked as he sensed Ursula take Poseidon's Trident. Still, even he was surprised when he felt the weapon get completely destroyed.

"Well, well…even the power of a god has limits," Jones couldn't help but relish that thought. "Ah well, at least that power can't be used by any of my enemies now."

"It was them," the Dutchman's latest recruit rumbled. Torafuzar already had small corals growing all over his body, though he wasn't nearly as covered as the others.

"Oh," Jones turned to the Demon.

"The three who defeated me…I sensed their power just now," the Demon explained.

"Haahaahaahaa! This new crew is making quite the impact on this Sea of Second Chances. We'll keep an eye on them. Soon, the 'gods' will send their best servants against them." Jones paused in consideration. "While destroying that brittle old Trident is an accomplishment, I want to see if their power is sufficient for my purposes before taking any action against them."

Torafuzar bowed his head. "As you command, Captain."

OoOoOoO

On the last island of the Sea of Second Chances, a bearded man perked up as he sensed his own power from across the sea.

"Hmm…now that's interesting," he mused. "I haven't felt anyone else use my power in eons."

Paying closer attention, he smirked when he realized what was going on. "That must be one of my children's old Tridents. I can't quite remember whose it was though."

Considering how many children he had, process of elimination would take awhile.

"Hephaestus never could replicate this Trident," the God gripped his own golden trident. "Not since my brothers and I eliminated the Cyclops who forged it. Nothing from Hera's child could match up to my true power. They at least served their purpose as toys for my children."

His attention turned back to the far-away battle. "So much fuss over a broken toy," he condescendingly put it. His eyebrows shot up though when he felt it destroyed. "Strange…the same people who powered through my storm have also broken something with a mere fragment of my power."

Then, Poseidon started laughing. "I can just imagine those insolent mortals congratulating themselves for such a petty thing. I will enjoy it when the time comes to show them a God's true might."

Alrighty…good to be back…lot to unpack here.

Sorry for the delay…but a new College semester, new apartment, and new job at the same time kinda put everything else on hold. Plus, I really wanted to get this chapter right. We'll see what kind of schedule I can work with in a bit.

Remember when I said Torafuzar was the first real fight of this story. I was wrong…this was insane to write. First, I noticed how little action some characters were getting, so I expanded on the fight with Flotsam and Jetsam to remedy that. This was honestly the first time I included EVERYONE in a fight. Hope that all the crew's contributions make sense. Plus, I'm eager to explore Tsuyu with Fishman Karate, because that is awesome.

As for the main event, I hope everyone's satisfied with Ursula's performance. While I wanted to emphasize that she only lasted so long against the main cast due to knowing when to run, I also wanted to show through her just how serious of a threat a "god's power" was in this verse. Let me know what y'all thought of the fight. Also hoped you enjoyed Juvia's proper debut, because she's gonna stick around for awhile.

Yeesh…I'm enjoying those little scenes with Davy Jones and Poseidon too much. Still, I wanted to make my main villains' presence clear in this verse from the very beginning (coughcough Kaguya coughcough), because my story needs a lot of buildup. Although, I promise that the next couple arcs have nothing to do with those two.

Next Chapter: Itachi's Odyssey

Til Next Time…Have Fun!